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Fishmans
(This article is incomplete, please add to it if possible!) Fishmans [フィッシュマンズ] is a Japanese dub/rock band that was founded in 1987 in Minato, Tokyo. The band consists of: * Shinji Sato (lead vocals, guitar, cornet) * Kin-Ichi Motegi (drums, vocals) * Yuzuru Kashiwabara (bass) * Kensuke Ojima (guitar, vocals) * Hakase-Sun (keyboard) * Hisamatsu (bass) They together have been working with the band's music intermittently since as early as 1985. Since their inception, they've become known simultaneously as a kitschy pop act and an experimental rock group, depending on the individual asked. Despite their obscurity, the group has managed to gain significant popularity overseas in America and Europe with the groundbreaking Long Season, even decades after the death of their frontman Shinji Sato. Their live album 98.12.28 男達の別れ is reviewed by rating aggregate website RateYourMusic as the best live album of all time, a bittersweet conclusion to Sato's life as it chronicles the band's last live performance before his death. Today, the band's legacy is carried by drummer Kin-Ichi Motegi through modern live performances, which usually employ stand-in vocalists to compensate for the loss of their lead member. A documentary surrounding the band titled The Fishmans Movie is currently in production, slated for international release with subtitles in late 2020. 1985-1990 - Early Years The band was officially founded by Sato, Motegi, and Ojima in 1987 at Meiji Gakuin University in Tokyo. The three had met one another through song writing collective Song Lights ''[ソング・ライツ''] in 1985. Apparently at this stage, lead vocalist Sato didn't expect the band to go anywhere notable. In the same year, bassist Hisamatsu would join the band to record the group's first song demo, Blue Summer as a 4-piece group. However, Hisamatsu would leave the band by 1988. Bassist Kashiwabara would quickly replace him, and the group would proceed to perform dozens of shows a year starting in 1988, with their earliest known concert being on May 3rd. The band would feature on Captain Records artist compilation Panic Paradise with their songs いなごが飛んでる'' and Special Night in 1989, which would be the first time Fishmans was printed on any musical media. The band's songs were printed alongside four other bands, none of which (other than Kusu Kusu) went anywhere significant beyond the compilation. After this, sometime in June, the band would begin recording their own first album. The same year on November 3 at a college performance, influential dub group producer Kazufumi Kodama discovered the band and ultimately signed them to record label Virgin Japan. The following year in 1990, keyboardist Hakase-Sun would join the band, completing the group's initial 5-man lineup, which would remain for multiple years to come. After this, on April 28, the band would perform its first ever solo, unsupported performance at venue La.mama. On October 17, the president of Virgin Records came to a performance by the band and finalized their recording contract. The band was to release an album the next year, produced by Kodama, who pitched the record to the band by simply stating, "Let's make a rocksteady album". 1991-1992 - Reggae, Shibuya-kei & ''Chappie, Don't Cry Fishmans' first album, released as Chappie, Don't Cry on May 21, 1991 was, as one would expect, a particularly straightforward attempt at reggae. Despite the band's innovative live sound, Kodama's previous production efforts (such as his work with Mute Beat) led to the album sounding much like more popular dub/lovers' rock releases at the time. Even so, some songs on the album foreshadow the band's intended direction towards shibuya-kei inspired music which would follow this album's release. On June 1, producer ZAK would join the group for a live performance, marking his first work with the group. The band would release their first EP later this year on November 7, titled Corduroy's Mood, which was self-produced without the assistance of Kodama. The EP allowed a much more comfortable shibuya-kei style to emerge from the group, and apparently the band used the material on it for self-inspiration moving forward. It was also this year that the band's songs いかれたBaby (on November 18) and 100ミリちょっとの (on December 13) were performed live for the first time. The earliest known performance of Walkin' was also performed this year (on December 25), alongside then-obscure rock band The Pillows. In January of 1992, TV network Fuji TV would approach the group for a song to be used as an opener for a new show called 90日間トテナムパブ (romanized: 90 Days Totenam Pub, English: The 90 Days). The band would give them 100ミリちょっとの as an opener, and the single 100ミリちょっとの would be released soon afterwards, marketed as the opening song for the program. It would serve as the opener for the show from January to March of that year. Later 1992 - Shifting direction & King Master George After the release of 100ミリちょっとの, Fishmans wanted to continue the evolution of their sound, wishing to avoid any release significantly resembling their last. This resulted in somewhat of a migratory period, in which the band would deliberate between potential new sounds for multiple months while crafting their next record. They would continue performing live, and on May 10, the band would begin recording King Master George, aided by one Haruo Kubota as producer. Apparently recording with Kubota was frustrating and sporadic at times, making the growing pains of finding new footing significantly more difficult. In modern accounts, the band specifically cites one recording session as being particularly ridiculous, that being one late night while Kubota was drunk off sake. He'd seen it fit to call the band in randomly to the studio, and not much was accomplished. Such antics would result in a record that was inconsistent in sound, constantly jumping from one genre to the next as the band searched for new direction. The album was released on October 21, displaying the band's unwillingness to stagnate even in tense conditions, desperate to explore new directions. One notable contribution to the record was なんてったの, a song Hakase-Sun had penned instead of Sato. Also included was a new mix of 100ミリちょっとの, as well as a few "joke" songs that only span up to a couple seconds. This, alongside its disorganized nature made King Master George a notoriously playful album when compared to their earlier works. Toward the end of the year, Fuji TV show "Wanwan Variety Star" would begin using いなごが飛んでる as an opening theme and Walkin' as a closing theme. Reportedly, Sato found this silly, however this shows there may have been studio recordings of Walkin' since at least late 1992. 1993 - ZAK, dub & ''Neo Yankees' Holiday'' Early 1993 was fairly uneventful for Fishmans, even in terms of live performances, only performing once in March. On February 19, however, the group would release single Walkin', their first to be produced by longtime contributor ZAK. This was a significant point in their discography, as they would settle on ZAK as producer for mostly all of their remaining career. Their next single would come on June 18, entitled いかれたBaby, which gained significant radio play upon release. This would be their first breakout single, releasing before a return to live performances in June and July. On the 21st of July, their third record Neo Yankees' Holiday was released, revealing a newfound turn to dub for the band. This was an expected shift in direction, taking into consideration their previous two singles, as well as considering the genre's close relation to reggae. Being their first production with ZAK, it was also their most musically consistent record upon release, showcasing his expertise in production. Later that year in September, the band would begin selling official merchandise, the first of which being t-shirts Sato had made himself. On November 15, the group would perform their song Go Go Round This World! for the first time, bearing significant resemblance to Neo Yankees' Holiday's sound. The band would gear up and perform many concerts in November and December, ending the year with a DJ-interviewing event between Sato and DJ Kensuke Kawamura, where he would play many unreleased live recordings on-air. This had been a very calm year for the band in the wake of 1992, making for a breath of fresh air. This contributed to the band's music from this era holding a particular calm, easy-going atmosphere. Category:Bands